I wake up to the sound of beeping. Slow. Steady. My heartbeat.
The ceiling above me is too white—it hurts my eyes. For a moment, I think I've died. Then I feel the sting in my arm, the cold sheets, and the faint smell of antiseptic. Hospital. I'm alive.
Dr. Fisher hovers above me, his penlight tracing over my pupils. Behind him stand Lisa, Henry, and Lily—all three of them wearing that same look. Fear. Relief. Pity.
"Oh my God, she's up," Lisa breathes out.
Dr. Fisher glances at the monitor and nods. "She's stable. Panic collapse, exhaustion, and stress. No internal injury. She just needs rest—and please, no talk about whatever triggered this episode. She should see a therapist soon."
They nod quickly. Lisa even thanks him twice before he leaves the room.
Once the door closes, silence fills everything. I can feel their eyes on me, weighing every breath. I turn my head slightly to avoid them, pretending to be tired.
Then Lisa speaks. "Vivian… we went to your home. With the police."
My pulse jumps so fast the machine starts beeping wildly. I see the panic flicker across her face and she rushes to calm me. "No, no, sweetheart, don't worry," she says gently. "He wasn't there. We only saw blood on the floor and a broken lamp, but… nothing else."
I freeze, trying not to show what I really feel. For a second, there's a flash of something sharp inside me—relief—but I bury it quickly. I widen my eyes instead, letting confusion replace it.
"Blood?" I whisper, voice cracking. "Wh-what about my uncle? Did they find him? Is he—"
Lisa shakes her head. "The police are still checking. Don't think about it now, okay?"
I nod, weakly. "I just… I just hope he's okay," I say, and it sounds convincing enough, even to me.
The room stays quiet for a long time after that. Too quiet.
Then I take a breath. "Mrs. Lisa… Mr. Henry… please, I need to ask something."
Lisa moves closer, brushing my hair back from my face. "What is it, dear?"
"Can you… help me change schools?" I whisper. "To a boarding school. Somewhere far. Away from everyone who knows my uncle."
Henry frowns. "Vivian… that's a serious request. We're not your guardians. We can't just decide that for you."
Lisa nods softly. "He's right, dear. You're still recovering. Maybe it's better to wait until—"
"No!" The word bursts out of me before I can stop it. I feel my voice tremble, and tears burn at the corners of my eyes—this time, almost real. "You don't understand. The people who came yesterday—they're after me. My uncle's friends. He owed them money, and when they couldn't find him, they said I'd repay it. I ran. I had to."
Lily gasps, covering her mouth. Henry stiffens, his jaw tightening, eyes burning with protective anger.
"Oh my God…" Lisa murmurs, her face pale. "That's horrible…"
"I can't go back there," I whisper, clutching the blanket tighter. "If they find me, I don't know what they'll do."
Henry exhales, rubbing his forehead. "Lisa…"
"We'll see what we can do," Lisa cuts in softly, still staring at me. Her voice shakes. "We can't promise anything, Vivian. But we'll… we'll look into it."
That's enough.
I lower my gaze, pretending to calm down, but inside, I feel something shift—small but powerful. They're starting to see me as more than a guest now. More than a poor girl.
They're starting to see me as their responsibility.
And that's exactly what I need.